How democratically-minded were you?

Here are the answers.

1. What did an ancient Athenian citizen use for a ballot?
   An ostracon. This was a piece of broken pottery. Sometimes, Athenians voted to send one of their number into exile, using this method – the origin of the word 'ostracism'.
2. When did China hold its first elections?
   1912. Sun Yat-sen was elected President by the Senate following that historic election.
3. In ancient Rome, how did you register to vote?
   You had to become a member of a tribe. If you didn't have one, one would be assigned to you.
4. In ancient Rome, what did candidates wear?
   White togas. Also known as the 'toga candidata', which is where the word comes from.
5. Which of these countries has the oldest parliamentary system?
   Iceland. The Alþing, founded in 930 at þingvellir, is the oldest extant parliamentary institution in the world.
6. If you were Elector of Brandenburg, what did your title mean?
   You got to vote for the Holy Roman Emperor. The German word was 'Kurfürst', from an old German word meaning 'to choose'.
7. In the 18th Century, how did you become a leader of the Iroquois?
   You won an election. The Iroquois taught North American settlers a lot about how to run a democracy. They'd been doing it for centuries.
8. What power did Iroquois women have in government?
   The power of impeachment. Yes, if the ladies believed you did have sex with that woman, they could boot you out and choose a replacement. Ben Franklin thought this was a good idea, but the Continental Congress wasn't having any.
9. In the 21st Century, how do you become Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation?
   You win an election. A no-brainer, this one. Check out the website.
10. Which country gave women limited voting rights first?
    Sweden. 1862 for local elections. Prussia, on the other hand, passed a law in 1851 that said women couldn't attend a meeting in which political issues were discussed. We suppose it was bad for their skin, or something.

If you got them all, elect yourself leader of the procession to the pizza parlour for a celebration. If you got too many wrong, do penance by sorting out your collection of antique campaign buttons.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

12.11.12 Front Page

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